WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR ME?

A professional energy audit gives you a thorough picture of where your home is losing energy and what you can do to save money.

You can save 5%-30% on your energy bill by making upgrades following a home energy assessment.

You may be eligible for state, local, or utility incentives to assist with your home energy audit. Visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency to find out.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

An energy auditor will walk through your home, review your bills, and conduct a blower door test or thermographic scan.Some utilities offer free or discounted home energy audits. Contact yours to find out if this incentive is available.

Professional energy assessments generally go into great detail to assess your home's energy use. The energy auditor will do a room-by-room examination of the residence, as well as a thorough examination of past utility bills. Many professional energy assessments will include a blower door test. Most will also include a thermographic scan. There's also another type of test -- the PFT air infiltration measurement technique -- but it is rarely offered. Check out the Energy Saver 101 graphic to get an idea of what energy auditors look for and the special tools they use to determine where a home is wasting energy.

PREPARING FOR AN ENERGY ASSESSMENT

Before the energy auditor visits your house, make a list of any existing problems such as condensation and uncomfortable or drafty rooms. Have copies or a summary of the home's yearly energy bills. (Your utility can get these for you.) Auditors use this information to establish what to look for during the audit. The auditor first examines the outside of the home to determine the size of the house and its features (i.e., wall area, number and size of windows). The auditor then will analyze the residents' behavior:

Is anyone home during working hours?

What is the average thermostat setting for summer and winter?

How many people live here?

Is every room in use?

Your answers may help uncover some simple ways to reduce your household's energy consumption. Walk through your home with the auditors as they work, and ask questions. They may use equipment to detect sources of energy loss, such as blower doors, infrared cameras, furnace efficiency meters, and surface thermometers.

FINDING AND SELECTING AN ENERGY AUDITOR

There are several places where you can locate professional energy assessment or auditing services.

Your state or local government energy or weatherization office may help you identify a local company or organization that performs audits.